Amsterdam, October 2012:
Seventeen months after we stopped cycling and decided to take a sabattical for a year and a bit to work at topping up our bank account, our world cycle tour has come to an abrupt end...

Just before we started to make new plans for the next stage of life on the road, Ali fell ill and he has spent more than five weeks in Egyptian and Dutch hospitals since.

We are now both back in the Netherlands, after Sonya terminated her English teaching contract in Saudi Arabia and rescued Ali from the hands of cranks and incompetence infesting the Egyptian healthcare system (thanks Gordon for that quote!).

So we have to start all over again and in the meantime, more research has to be done to determine the causes of Ali's suddenly deteriorating health. There is no doubt that the next period will be a difficult one for the both of us, but we're optimistic about our chances and are ready to face the challenges to come.

Special thanks to:
Sherif, Saleh, Mohamed, Hans, Paula, Martine, Sanne, Gineke, Ali's family and all the staff at OLVG in Amsterdam for EVERYTHING.

TOUR.TK is here to stay...
But this doesn't mean this site is not going somewhere... We've accumulated so much information that in the months to come, we will try and make the site easier to navigate and even more interesting; especially on the country info pages. There is still a lot of work to do...

Between July 2006 and April 2011 we:
cycled through 47 countries; crossed 63 borders; rode 57,915 km; climbed 458 kilometer; camped on 691 days; had 129 flat tyres; broke 53 spokes; fractured 3 bones; had 2 collisions with cars; experienced 4 national elections; sat through 1 revolution and made a hell of a lot of new friends !

The Tour:
Having sold all
our belongings and paid our debts;
having said goodbye to our friends
and packed up the bikes, we are totally
excited about the big bicycle adventure.
Starting off in The Netherlands on
31 July 2006, we believe we can travel
on the road for about six years. That
should give us enough time to stay
longer in some countries, while avoiding
bad weather in others. Secretly, we
wouldn't even mind if our journeys
take us a bit longer, because sometimes
a 'no reservations' opportunity arises.
And then you really should: follow
your heart!

Not only do we want
plenty of time to have a good look
around, but also document our travels.
Each monthly story, slide show and
latest video can be found via the on the road section of the site. Want to know
more about us or be kept up to date?: Easy: follow
our blog!

Intended for both
the cyclist and traveller alike, our country
info pages give you an idea about the cost
of living around the globe. Planning
your expenses is as important as your
health. There are also plenty of general
facts and figures to stock up on:
trip distances; climate charts; well
travelled cycle routes including road
conditions; bike shops; and recommended
maps to use. Though some will say:
follow your nose!

Maybe you'd like
to know about our preparations or what previous trips inspired this change of lifestyle.
Our tips & tricks also stirs a bit of interest as do
the equipment and electronics we are
carrying in our bags. The
'why we kept it' and 'why we threw
it' review comes direct from the touring
cyclist's mouth. If at all in doubt,
the best advice is to: follow gut
instinct.

While we don’t
profess to know everything about border
crossings and visas, with the help
of World Travel Guide we can definitely
point you in the right direction.
And if we don't have the answer to
your question then maybe one of the
fellow travellers, cycling buddies
or associated websites on our links pages does. Falling short of that,
you could always contact us and we'll do our best to help you
out. Hopefully, enough information
is provided here to help you plan
your own epic touring journey. Really
it is not a big price to pay: follow
your dream!

And for those just
wanting to experience the ambience of on
the road living, then our journal entries will
keep you occupied for hours: daily
details from camping wild for free
to sleeping in budget guest house
accommodation or local city hotels;
from typical vegetarian food and drink
served by street vendors to the joys
of restaurant eating and supermarket
shopping. So how about it: follow
our tour ?!